Biophysical Monitoring
The Lakeview Stewardship Group, following reauthorization of the Lakeview Federal Stewardship Unit, presented ecologist Richard Hart with the task of developing a monitoring plan that would answer questions asked by the group. Establishing an educational link between this monitoring effort and local schools was one goal of the plan. The Chewaucan Biophysical Monitoring Project, now known as the Chewaucan Biophysical Monitoring Team (CBMT) has brought that plan to life.
Since 2002, Lake County Resources Initiative (LCRI) has hired a crew leader and local highschool students to manage and operate the CBMT. The CBMT has employed over 75 local highschool students teaching them ecological monitoring practices and other important natural resource skills. Some of these skills have included watershed studies, carbon sequestration, road decommissioning, wildfire recovery, fire habits, habitat restoration and many other ecological monitoring areas. Using the information collected in these areas the CBMT has influenced congressional decisions by testifying and encouraging change. The information collected has helped uncover many misconceptions about proper restoration of high desert forests and highlighted promising new restoration practices.
Following the dissolution of the Lakeview Federal Stewardship Unit, we have continued to work with several partners from that unit. Some of the main partners that we continue to work with and inform are The National Forest Service, Lakeview Watershed Council, Collins Timber Company, Klamath Lake Forest Health Partnership, and private landowners. These partnerships help the CBMT to invoke change and restoration in the national forest and on private land. With over 2000 unique ecological monitoring sites the CBMT uses the data collected in these sites to inform partner decisions and help reach more land owners.
Currently the CBMT does Fire monitoring which observes trends over time. The monitoring itself involves recording data collected in several areas: canopy, vegetation, fuels, and soils. As part of the fire monitoring the CBMT also looks at the health of aspen stands and the effects of conifer removal in these stands. The data recorded is then stored in a relational database to answer the driving questions of the project. The CBMT uses these areas to collect data in the Fremont Winema National Forest and on private land in both Lake and Klamath Counties.
In the future the CBMT plans on working with even more partners and landowners to inform and help make decisions about restoration projects and harvests. The CBMT will also continue monitoring efforts in the summer looking at previous and new ecological monitoring sites. CBMT also plans on working closely with LCRI’s Forest Fuels Reduction Program (FFRP) monitoring and looking at data collected to help inform decisions about fuel loading in the Fremont Winema National Forest.
While working for CBMT students learn about how to identify and study different plants and ecosystems along with learning about data entry and management. Students will also gain an understanding of what management practices are used and how they affect the forests. If you are interested in working for the Chewaucan Biophysical Monitoring Team you can fill out the application form below.